Current:Home > InvestIllinois man wins $25K a year for life from lottery ticket after clerk's lucky mistake-LoTradeCoin
Illinois man wins $25K a year for life from lottery ticket after clerk's lucky mistake
View Date:2024-12-23 19:36:03
Thanks to an apparent honest mistake by a gas station clerk, a 60-year-old Illinois man is nearly $400,000 richer.
Michigan Lottery officials said Michael Sopejstal won $25,000 a year for life when a Lucky for Life lottery ticket he bought matched the five white balls drawn on Sept. 17: 11-15-17-24-48.
According to a press release, Sopejstal traveled to The Great Lakes State from his hometown and bought the winning ticket at a GoLo gas station in New Buffalo, a town near Lake Michigan about 70 miles from Chicago.
Every few weeks, Sopejstal said, he visits Michigan "to eat at his favorite restaurant."
"I always get a Lucky for Life ticket for 10 or 20 draws while I’m here,” Sopejstal said during a recent trip to the Michigan Lottery headquarters.
Virginia man wins half-million dollars:Man celebrates with his dogs after winning $500,000 from Virginia Lottery scratch-off
A lump sum payout instead
The lucky winner said he asked the retailer for a ticket for 10 draws, but the clerk "accidentally printed" a ticket with 10 lines for one draw.
"I told him I still wanted it," Sopejstal recalled. “I checked my ticket one morning and saw that I had won $25,000 a year for life. I immediately started thinking about all the things I could do with the money... It was an amazing feeling!”
The lucky lotto winner chose to receive his winnings as a one-time lump sum payment of $390,000, rather than payments of $25,000 a year for life, according to the release.
Sopejstal said he plans to use the money to travel and put the rest into savings.
Maryland man wins $1M from lotto ticket:Baltimore man wins $1 million from Florida Lottery scratch-off ticket
When is the Lucky for Life next drawing?
According to the state lottery website, Lucky for Life players can win prizes ranging from $3 to a lifetime of cash.
Tickets are $2 each, and to win the game’s top prize − $1,000 a day for life − players need to match all five winning numbers plus one "Lucky Ball" number. Those who match all five winning numbers, but not the "Lucky Ball" win $25,000 a year for life.
The state's next Lucky for Life drawing is Monday night.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- 4 charged in Detroit street shooting that left 2 dead, 5 wounded
- Retired Georgia minister charged with murder in 1975 slaying of girl, 8, in Pennsylvania
- A Silicon Valley lender collapsed after a run on the bank. Here's what to know
- Cardi B Calls Out Offset's Stupid Cheating Allegations
- John Krasinski Details Moment He Knew Wife Emily Blunt Was “the One”
- What is the DMZ? Map and pictures show the demilitarized zone Travis King crossed into North Korea
- The FDIC was created exactly for this kind of crisis. Here's the history
- Chloë Grace Moretz's Summer-Ready Bob Haircut Will Influence Your Next Salon Visit
- Elon Musk responds after Chloe Fineman alleges he made her 'burst into tears' on 'SNL'
- South Korean court overturns impeachment of government minister ousted over deadly crowd crush
Ranking
- After years of unrest, Commanders have reinvented their culture and shattered expectations
- Dancing With the Stars Alum Mark Ballas Expecting First Baby With Wife BC Jean
- These Top-Rated $25 Leggings Survived Workouts, the Washing Machine, and My Weight Fluctuations
- Dangerous Air: As California Burns, America Breathes Toxic Smoke
- Tennessee fugitive accused of killing a man and lying about a bear chase is caught in South Carolina
- Planet Money Records Vol. 3: Making a hit
- We found the 'missing workers'
- Startups 'on pins and needles' until their funds clear from Silicon Valley Bank
Recommendation
-
Brianna LaPaglia Reacts to Rumors Dave Portnoy Paid Her $10 Million for a Zach Bryan Tell-All
-
Ray Lewis' Son Ray Lewis III Laid to Rest in Private Funeral
-
New drugs. Cheaper drugs. Why not both?
-
16-year-old dies while operating equipment at Mississippi poultry plant
-
Bluesky has added 1 million users since the US election as people seek alternatives to X
-
Small plane crashes into Santa Fe home, killing at least 1
-
New York Community Bank agrees to buy a large portion of Signature Bank
-
Florida couple pleads guilty to participating in the US Capitol attack